Lenovo has announced a new set of ThinkPad business notebooks as part of its announcements at the upcoming IFA show in Berlin. Going thinner and lighter, the new ThinkPad T440s, T440, and X240 notebooks feature Lenovo’s new Power Bridge technology, which aims to extend battery life for users through a hot-swappable battery system. In addition, the company announced two models aimed at the small-business market (the S440 and S540), as well as a new ThinkVision monitor, which features an interesting 21:9 panoramic display (no need to chain monitors together for additional screen real estate?)

Here are some additional specs/features of the new systems:

ThinkPad T440 (available end of October, starting at $899): A 14-inch notebook with Windows 8, processors up to the fourth-generation Intel Core i5, up to 12GB of DDR3L RAM, and storage capacity up to 1 TB hard-disk drive or a 512GB Solid State Drive (SSD). Starting at 4 pounds, the system’s battery can go up to 17 hours (with the high-capacity battery) and includes optional Near Field Communication (NFC) functionality. Other features include two USB 3.0 ports, an SD Card reader, wireless WAN capabilities (4G LTE and 3G), and an integrated 720p webcam.

ThinkPad T440s (available end of October, starting at $1,149): The premium version of the T440 system starts at 3.5 pounds, and measures only 0.83 inches thin. The 14-inch notebook includes Windows 8, processors up to the fourth-generation Intel Core i7 processor, up to 12 GB of DDRL RAM, and storage capacity up to 1 TB hard-disk drive or a 512GB SSD. Sound features include Dolby Digital Plus for Windows 8 with Home Theater v4 (as opposed to Advanced Audio 2 for the T440).

ThinkPad X240 (available end of October, starting at $1,099): Aimed at the mobile worker, the 12-inch X240 thin-and-light Ultrabook starts at 3 pounds. The system includes Windows 8, processors up to the fourth-generation Intel Core i7, up to 8GB of DIMM RAM, up to 1TB hard-disk drive (SSD storage options available), Dolby Home Theater Advanced Audio 2 sound, and optional 3-cell internal battery or 3-cell/6-cell travel battery, which Lenovo says will offer 10-plus hours of life. The system includes VGA and Ethernet ports, a 3-in-1 card reader, HDMI output, two USB 3.0 ports and 720p webcam. Optional connectivity will be available for 3G and 4G wireless WAN.

ThinkPad S440 and S550 (S440 available in select markets in September; S540 available in October in select markets): The S440 features a 14-inch display, up to 8GB of DDR3L (1 DIMM slot) RAM, up to a 500GB hard-drive (or 256GB SSD), and battery life up to 6 hours. The S550 includes a 15.6-inch display, up to 16GB of DDR3L (2 DIMM slots) RAM, up to a 1TB HDD or 256GB SSD, and up to 9 hours of battery life. Both systems include up to fourth-generation Intel Core i7 processors, Windows 8, Intel HD Graphics 4400 (with option for AMD Radeon HD 8670M Graphics 2GB video card), Dolby Home Theater v4 with Stereo speakers, Ethernet, HDMI, two USB 3.0 ports, 4-in-1 media card reader, 720p webcam and wireless WAN options.

ThinkVision LT2934z monitor (available starting in October for $799): This 29-inch display features a new 21:9 aspect ratio, which Lenovo says delivers 33% more viewing area than other widescreen monitors (which traditionally use a 16:9 aspect ratio). This gives users an option to use one display for all of their work instead of chaining together multiple monitors. The monitor offers resolution up to 2,560 by 1,080, has a 178-degree viewing angle, and includes multiple connections (VGA, HDMI 1.4, MHL, Dual-Link DVI-D, two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports). The 18.3-pound monitor also has ThinkVision PIP (picture-in-picture) technology, which lets users display two PCs on the one screen. For users who want to use the monitor with VoIP systems, it includes a FHD video webcam, noise-cancelling dual-array microphones and dedicated VoIP keys.

Lenovo said it will have additional IFA announcements on Thursday, Sept. 5.

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